Brassband Willebroek
Conductor: Frans Violet
Soloist: Kevin Van Giel
World of Sound Recordings: WOS 177
The contest alchemy of Brass Band Willebroek and Frans Violet continues to produce golden ingots of success. 2025 saw the indivisible partnership secure a fourth European title as well as being crowned Belgian Champion for a 24th time.
There is no mythical formula though; rather, a five-decade long ethos of banding values distilled through the fusion of ensemble balance and tonality. The individual elements are embossed with the same hallmarks.
They produce a sound that glows.
It's a lineage that can be traced to the partnership’s earliest successes. The release itself is a nod to their European Brass CD from 1993, the year of their first triumph, as well as a testament to the lasting commitment to the development of home-grown talent.
Imposing pillars
The works that secured the European crown in Stavanger provide the imposing pillars of the release.
‘Transitions in Energy’ and their own-choice selection, ‘The Forest for the Trees’ encapsulate big ideas drawn on large scale canvases, as composers Fredrick Schjelderup and Wim Bex question the fundamental concepts behind the major challenges faced by humanity in the 21st century.
‘Transitions in Energy’ and their own-choice selection, ‘The Forest for the Trees’ encapsulate big ideas drawn on large scale canvases, as composers Fredrick Schjelderup and Wim Bex question the fundamental concepts behind the major challenges faced by humanity in the 21st century.
At the core of ‘Transitions in Energy’ is a heartfelt paean of loss; the ultimate demand-led price paid for the extraction of the black gold of oil. Central to ‘The Forest for the Trees’ is the sensitive realisation that the price of truth is now so camouflaged by deceit that even its ultimate value is forever tainted.
White noise
However, despite the evocative, attuned responses provided by Frans Violet and his band, even these finely realised interludes of writing are surrounded by the stifling cloak of modern white-noise test-piece plastering. Too often they become displays of technical virtuosity packaged into short term thematic development and industrious busyness lacking purpose.
Despite the obvious quality of execution, meaningful exploration of the themes of exploitation and sustainability, perceptions of truth and propaganda are lost in the over-stretched structuring
Despite the obvious quality of execution, meaningful exploration of the themes of exploitation and sustainability, perceptions of truth and propaganda are lost in the over-stretched structuring (18 minutes plus with the Schjelderup; through nine sections with Bex).
Even Frans Violet’s persuasively styled responses are simply reduced in pertinence by the most modern 21st century curse of all - obesity.
Liberating
Compact levels of precision and focus are to be heard with Lennert Van Laenen’s confidently portrayed ‘Airborne’ – light and liberating in its dynamism without being overloaded with needless detail.
Contrast comes with the plaintive simplicity of ‘Grant us Peace’ by Etienne Crausaz which builds in intensity before retreating into quiet reflection, whilst Kevin Van Giel’s superb rendition of ‘Dragonfly’ by Thierry Deleruyelle has such an elegant euphonium sparkle; a triptych display of graceful virtuosity, paced and shaped with no loss of reflective colour or agile adventure.
Oddly though, the 1990s MTV inspired ‘Guitar Zero’ from the talented Stijn Aertgeerts (who has written fine works of inquisitive substance) is a sugar-loaded lollipop that perhaps would have been suited to their more recent concert series CD releases. Here it is simply out of place.
Iwan Fox
To purchase: https://www.brassbandwillebroek.be/shop
Play list:
1. Airborne (Lennert Van Laenen)
2. Dragonfly (Thierry Deleruyelle)
Soloist: Kevin Van Giel
3. Transitions in Energy (Fredrick Schjelderup)
4. Grant us Peace (Etienne Crausaz)
5. The Forest for the Trees (Wim Bex)
6. Guitar Zero (Stijn Aertgeerts)
